A Look Back At 2023

[Chase Goldman]

I retired from the rat race in 2023 which naturally opened up a lot more time for metal detecting.  I didn't know what to expect for 2023, but I did figure that I would at least get more opportunities to detect which hopefully would translate into more quality finds than in previous years.  It turns out that was case, but what really made 2023 enjoyable was not just the finds but the opportunity to try out different things and to hang out more with my detectorist buddies.  Especially partnering up with Bob (@F350Platinum) who is just constantly pillaging the Northern Neck of Virginia with new finds and permissions.  I was fortunate to meet Bob 3 years ago after he started posting his yard finds on the forum.  He was really just starting out and while I knew he was aware of the history behind his amazing finds, I am not sure he realized at the time just what a detecting paradise he had at his doorstep.  I know a lot of folks who would consider just about everything he found on his first few hunts as bucket listers because they would not have ready access to detect such historic relic laden areas.  As a Northern Virginian city dweller I had little to offer in terms of reciprocation in terms of permissions and sites but I did know detectors and how to detect relics and met up with him to detect and share my knowledge of detectors, history, and relic hunting.  The mentor soon became the mentee as Bob's opportunity to frequently detect, his rapport with the local landowners, and his research and IT skills soon lapped my abilities and now I am just thankful we became friends and he let's me tag along with him at his permissions.  

Anyway, with that backstory out of the way, on to early 2023.  We started out hitting some of Bob's sites that he has had access to for a couple of years.  Happily pulling out whatever we hadn't already found or that were turned up in the plowed fields.  And as per usual, we ran into one of the landowner farmers who were out and about on their properties.  An offhanded comment to that landowner and low and behold Bob made another connection and a potential permission to a farm we had been eyeing for some time.

Off to a new permission and all the excitement that comes with it.  We've posted our finds on these sites before so not going to bore you all with that, suffice to say, I found some bucket listers and finds that I have never before recovered including a pipe tamper, a brass men's ring stamped 18K, and a North Carolina CW button and the largest spectacle buckle I have dug (though only partial). Bob snagged A LOT of silver coins from the "front yard" of the home site. It was supposedly pounded previously, but the site was challenging with lots of iron and other junk and we felt that in this case, the latest D2 detector technology (fast recovery, multifrequency) provided an advantage vs. those who had gone years before us, probably with slower or less discriminating machines.  We were rewarded and had a great time visiting that site throughout the year and anticipated Fall harvest to access fields that were unavailable to us at that time.

Bob and I attended a group hunt we both attended the prior year that was fun and productive.  This year, not so much.  Bob managed a CW Eagle button and, I managed...nothing.  I was focusing on learning my new Axiom PI detector and also testing out a new smaller coil.  I could have exploited some previous minie ball hot spots, but decided to not limit myself and we explored a large portion of the farm.  It happens and the Axiom proved itself later at a bigger group hunt in hot soil.  That was Diggin' in Virginia (DIV) at a new site that was the location of a running artillery and infantry battle of the Civil War called the Battle of Freemans Ford which was a tactical water crossing of the Rappahannock River.  Union Artillery and Infantry units engaged a Confederate supply column that was being protected by a number of Confederate regiments.  The Union units were routed back across the river but the Confederates took a lot of shelling from the Union batteries on the high ground across the river.  A ton of artillery shell fragments, fuses, sabot, and unexploded ordanance were recovered as well as other typical CW relic items such as plates, buttons, minie balls, etc.  Since the site was adjacent to the river, it also contained a number of old Colonial, 19th and 20th century former home sites.  I recovered a number of shell fragments, sabot, a fuse, and small arms projectiles with my new Axiom, but one non-CW-period find was my favorite.  A 1923 SLQ in excellent condition.  Probably dropped exactly 100 years prior.  The Axiom proved itself that day and my GPX found a new home with another detectorist.

Over the summer, during the traditional relic detecting hiatus (the fields are planted, the bugs are out, and the sun is high), I did some beach detecting on the Chesapeake Bay and also met up with Bob a couple of times at his local "beach" haunt at Colonial Beach VA.  Found some bling and a lot of quarters and yet another beached Sacagawea dollar coin (weird) and generally had a great time soaking up some rays and talking to the local beachgoers.  Sometimes getting some more leads to permissions in the general area.

When fall finally came around, we some of our old haunts.  Didn't expect too much because the sites had either been minimally productive or we had pounded them to death.  In that context of low expectations I had one of my best days ever.  Three 1930's silver quarters and an Bob snagged an eagle button, but nothing else out of a traditionally stingy field so we moved on after a couple of hours.  The next field we had pounded multiple times but hit the known hot spot areas.  We weren't getting much other than lead bale seals until we hit a known iron patch where we started pulling out various old flat and ball buttons and other pieces of brass.  I then finally pulled an unfamiliar two-piece button with an anchor on it.  I knew it was some sort of Navy button or possibly even a civilian decorative button until I did the research and found it to be a British Naval Officer's button from the late 1700's to early 1800's.  In context, it makes sense.  The area was raided by the British during the war of 1812 and also there may have been colonists who were former British Naval Officers who lived there.  Anyway, for me this is a bucket lister in the sense that it is potentially linked to British military action in the area during the war of 1812.  I also got to detect some sites up north in  central Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland and scored some silver, copper, brass, lead, and pewter Colonial spoon bowl.

Bob got some additional intel regarding one of our sites about a potentially unexploited former home site.  It was in a field in which we did not have previous access due to crops.  When the crops were finally harvested, Bob let me know, we met up and we "attacked" the area and were successful in finding the site.  We hit that area twice and it was very productive.  Bob got a 1798 Largie (a bucket lister for me is recovering ANY pre-1800 minted US coin, silver or gold would be a bonus).  I was very jealous of that because even though I was seemingly pulling relics from the ground at will, I could not get my coil over any coin.  Regardless, it was a great couple of outings and stood out to me because of the sheer number of relics but also because, even though I was not able to snag a coin, I was able to snag silver in the form of a very old, patterned cufflink.

We capped off the year with a hunt at an initially promising new site that coughed up a number of colonial buttons, some oddities (including an unexpected Eagle GS button), and we each somehow managed to snag Merc's in the same area to finish off the hunt with some silver, which is always nice.  My final hunt of the year turned out to be the capper for me, and hopefully, a sign of good things to come for 2024.  It was an especially good year for silver for me.  At least 4 silver quarters, a number of silver dimes, a silver 1840 Seated Liberty half dime (my first), and the silver cufflink.  We hit a field that had iron but had only given up a few keepers.  I noted to Bob that I was not ready to give up on it, though we both had low expectations based on our previous visit there.  Bob and I started to hit areas that we had not detected previously and hit the iron patches hard.  A few brass relics started to pop and then I hit a solid 91 that did not waver even after I did a 360 turn.  I thought to myself, well at least I am going to dig a silver or clad dime.  I flipped the plug, pinpointed and flipped out some more dirt and silver DID pop out of the hole, but not what I thought it was going to be.  I thought, wow its a quarter or half, by sight, but that didn't jive with 91 TID.  I looked closer at the coin design details and realized that I just popped my first 2 Reale Spanish silver - 1793 King Charles IV (stamped as Carolus IIII on the coin) with a Lima, Peru mintmark.  If that coin could talk and tell the tale of how it ended up in a Virginia farm field, I would have loved to hear it.  Called over to Bob, and even though it was only 10am, told him my hunt was over and I was going home because I knew I couldn't top it for the year, much less for the rest of the day.  I might have dinged it with my digger, but in my defense, I thought I was recovering a dime. It happens.  I stuck around though, for the rest of the day, and we pulled some more brass and then called it a year! 

In 2024, my quest for my ideal VLF IB detector has pretty much ended with the Deus 2.  I still dabble with other machines but if I am serious about the dig, it's going to be the Deus 2.  ALL my quality finds this year were recovered with the Deus 2 or the Axiom.

Thanks to Bob for some great detecting adventures and friendship!

Goodbye 2023, had fun.  Hello 2024, can't wait!  Wishing everyone great digging in 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ColonelDan]

Excellent year; excellent report.   As I told Bob, you guys live and roam the epicenter of America's detecting world!👍

[Bill (S. CA)]

Marvelous post, Chase.  That 1923 SLQ is gorgeous!

Interesting that you feel the Deus II is the machine to go with.  I concur.  Not that I own one yet (scraping together the $$).  But it doesn't matter where I go, inland or the beach, the Deus II beats me.  I'm pretty good with my Equinox 800 and Legend and they are wonderful detectors.   But neither one can beat a Deus II.  Right now I use the Legend which for my money does beat the 800 inland due to its expanded TID range.  On the beach it is about the same.  I do go to my Axiom every once in a while at the beach.

BTW, I'm not looking to start a debate.  Just commenting based on my experience in the field. 

Thanks again for sharing your finds with us, Chase.

[CVISChris]

A great year indeed.  I am sure you and Bob will kill it in 2024... 

[okara gold]

Great story of your 2023 hunts and very nice pictures to go with it all! Good luck in this new year! 

[F350Platinum]

Great Recap my friend. 👍

While I may have come along fast, it's due to your example (#copycat 🤣), your knowledge of detectors in general, and the members of this forum that have inspired me all along. I would not be half as prolific without y'all. 2023 was a banner year for me, and frankly I doubt I will top it. 🤔 Doesn't matter.

I'm going to stand with @Bill (S. CA), and truly hope he scrapes together the $$ to get the Deus 2 and as many accessories as he can muster. My suggestion to him is to get the 9" full kit, a pair of WSA II or WSA II XL headphones, and the 11x13". I feel that the 11" is redundant, but it did come in handy after I fell out of my attic 😏

I only have 3 other detectors to compare it to but after using it and learning its incredible "Set It Your Way" expressiveness, the Deus 2 is truly a force to be reckoned with on the beach and relic hunting, I've heard that all over VA. I've run into other folks at the beach and always find myself cleaning up after them, no matter what they are using. 🙄 I hear "not much out there today" and only chuckle inwardly about my pouch full of finds. 😈

I wanted to go right to the top with a detector after my beloved Equinox, and haven't looked back.

I'm hoping I'll be able to get more permissions, I have a few in my back pocket, I just want to be sure that what we have covered is covered. Seems if we hit a place hard however, it does become kind of a desert. 😁 Maybe after they turn them deep if ever...

Anyway thanks for the companionship, exchange of ideas and fun, and here's to 2024 🥂 🍀 You really capped off 2023! 🙂

[Sinclair]

4 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

I've run into other folks at the beach and always find myself cleaning up after them, no matter what they are using.

Imho that's a mixture of luck, taking the right path, speed and technique - not so much the detector being used. But I know what you mean - we have it all the time, too - even between my detecting buddy and me 😄

All the best for 2024! 🍀🥂

[Valens Legacy]

It just amazes me as to just how good the 2 of you are with detectors, and hit the best finds that anyone could ever expect to dig.

Wish you the best of luck this year to exceed what you have done this past year.

When I finally get time to use my detector again I just hope that I can find anything half as good as the both of you.

Stay safe and stay warm.

[F350Platinum]

3 hours ago, Valens Legacy said:

It just amazes me as to just how good the 2 of you are with detectors, and hit the best finds that anyone could ever expect to dig.

Wish you the best of luck this year to exceed what you have done this past year.

When I finally get time to use my detector again I just hope that I can find anything half as good as the both of you.

Stay safe and stay warm.

Thanks VL.

I've seen your finds posts and for where you are you do just fine. 🙂 Right now you are working hard and in the prime of your career from what I glean. That should be your priority. 👍 Be the best at what you do, the reward is the repeating pattern. Advice as old as time.

I happen to live in a very old part of the country, as Steve H always reminds us it's all about location. The fact that this place is still largely undeveloped doesn't hurt either. 🤔 🤣

I've chronicled my entire detecting history here thus far, for many reasons, in order of least to most important:

Bragging rights 🙄 ain't gonna lie 😀

I'm amazed at the things I'm lucky enough to find, learn about them and show them. Sometimes show them and learn about them 😏

Showing the development of a Detectorist from scratch, I joined the forum soon after I got my first detector but knew I needed a better one. No problem there, this forum has the best of the best on it. I could tell that the first time I read posts. It also weeds out the unscrupulous and inconsiderate.

I like to help/inspire others, about 25/75 percent. In my career I managed to return the same gift of opportunity I was given, I picked people who had a certain character and taught them the IT trade. It was rewarding for the most part. Here I see a few people take my suggestions and now advice and tips become better themselves, and that is a priceless satisfaction and reinforcement to do even better myself. 😎 I thought that would end at retirement, it didn't.

If I can inspire the experienced and the novice alike to get out there, that makes my day. Apparently I'm a bit late to the game, the finds curve is on the down swing, and even here I have missed out on a lot. 😅

That's about it. 🤔

There are many who would like to hunt where I do, and I have to be very careful about who/how many I invite to hunt with me. It is a very close and visible community, with a code of ethics and suspicion of outsiders that is many hundreds of years old. One mistake and I'm done. 😬 Chase understands this and it is a blast for me when he makes a great find, that's what it's all about. I have the luxury of proximity.

I don't do anything for nothing, I'll admit that.

[CPT_GhostLight]

Great finds for the year, Chase! Congrats and Well Done! 😎